A decorated U.S. soldier who died while unsuccessfully trying to rescue his daughters from their burning North Carolina home was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday .

The funeral took place , as scheduled , in the early morning , said cemetery spokeswoman Jennifer Lynch .

Chief Warrant Officer II Edward Duane Cantrell , 36 , was a member of the 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg . The Green Beret had returned in August from his latest overseas deployment .

His wife , Louise , told officials the family was upstairs when the fire broke out just before 2 a.m. March 5 in Hope Mills , a suburb of Fayetteville .

She jumped from a second-floor window and ran next door to call for help while her husband went to get 6-year-old Isabella and 4-year-old Natalia , the Cumberland County Sheriff 's Office said .

`` They never made it out , '' said Debbie Tanna , spokeswoman for the Sheriff 's Office .

Officials believe the family 's century-old home had tinderbox conditions that led to `` a very intense fire . ''

Military officials said the Fort Bragg soldier had completed six deployments , including one to Iraq and five to Afghanistan .

He had four Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart for his service , according to the Army Special Operations Command .

Cantrell was honored with a military funeral at the cemetery in Arlington , Virginia .

`` That was his wishes , '' said Lt. April Olsen of U.S. Army Special Forces Command .

His two daughters will lie beside him .

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Edward Duane Cantrell returned in August from his latest overseas deployment

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The Green Beret , 36 , had four Bronze stars and a Purple Heart

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It was his wish to be buried at Arlington , the Army says